Joan was always known to me as ‘Aunty Joan’ as I first met her at Abbotsholme when I was 5 or 6.  My parents, Chris and Doris Dodds were lifelong friends of Joan and George and I was very excited to be bridesmaid at their wedding in 1951.  The family friendship continued when both families moved away from Rocester, the Doddses to Northfield in Birmingham and the Ladells to Redditch and, through the years beyond that, ending with me travelling by train to visit Joan in Shrewsbury in her final years.  As a little girl at Millholme, as well as seeing her as a favourite Aunty, I was fascinated by her ‘exotic’ background coming, as she did, a very long way from over the sea in South Africa.  I remember her wonder at seeing her first hedgehog on the lawn at Millholme!  My Mum and Joan were the closest of friends and bonded particularly over their shared love and skill of dressmaking.  They had regular trips together to the fabric stall at Redditch market to buy material to make clothes both for themselves and us children.  Joan and George’s artistic skills grew and blossomed to astonishing levels over the years.  I am typing this at the solid oak desk George made for me in my schooldays to do my homework at and I have several of their artworks on the walls of my flat in Stratford, which I will always treasure.  I can honestly say Aunty Joan was always like a second Mum to me and I felt enormously sad when her quality of life gradually deteriorated, particularly the loss of her sight to Macular Degeneration.  It was such a pleasure to visit her at Sutton Road as she so enjoyed chatting about ‘old times’ and showing me round the garden.  She was also most appreciative of the chocolates I usually took her!  She was a very special person in my life and I will miss her enormously, as will all the family and all who knew her.